Marionette formed of tubular sheet material



28, 1956 R. M. HETRICK 2,760,305

MARIQNETTE FORMED OF TUBULAR SHEET MATERIAL Filed April 29, 1954 IN V EN TOR.

MKW

United States Patent MARIONETTE FORMED 0F TUBULAR SHEET MATERIAL Richard M. Hetrick, Houston, Tex. Application April 29, 1954, Serial No. 426,497

2 Claims. (Cl. 46-126) This invention relates to a marionette formed of tubular sheet material, and more particularly to an amusement device or toy of the puppet type, having moving parts designed and assembled to be manipulated by strings.

The invention has for its chief object the provision of an amusement device, which may be conveniently furnished as a kit of prefabricated parts designed to be easily assembled by the purchaser to construct a marionette or puppet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a marionette of improved construction, whose parts are assembled and in which the movement of the arms and legs is coordinated.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a toy of the marionette or puppet type, all of whose parts may be fabricated of sheet material and which may be furnished in a flat compact package containing all materials for the complete construction and operation of the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a marionette of greatly simplified construction improved operating and controlling means, and which may be readily manipulated without special skill or practice.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a marionette which is constructed to be easily manipulated by the use of one hand and in which the separate manipulation of the various strings connected to the ditferentmoving parts is unnecessary.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a marionette having a body and arm and leg elements movably carried thereby and which are so connected that the arm elements are simultaneously operated with the leg elements whereby the arm elements appear to function independently of the leg elements.

The above and other important objects and advantages of the invention will best be understood from the following detailed description, constituting a specification of the same, when considered in conjunction with the annexed drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, and partly in cross-section, illustrating a preferred form of the invention, and showing the same in assembled condition; and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the same.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the invention comprises a hollow body, generally indicated at 10, a pair of arm elements 12, 12, leg elements 14, 14, movably mounted eye elements 16, 16, and control sticks 18, forming a crutch or control member, connected to the body and leg elements by control strings, in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter.

The body 10, in the present illustration, takes the form of a generally cylindrical carton or container, of the type commonly employed for the packaging of various commodities, such for example, as ice cream or the like. It will be understood, however, that any suitable type of hollow body, of convenient size and shape, may be employed for this purpose and it is not intended to limit the invention to any particular type or style of body, many such articles being readily available and satisfactory for this purpose. The body is provided with a closed bottom 20, and may be open at the top, or closed in any convenient manner, as by means of the usual cap 22.

The invention contemplates the provision of the arm and leg elements, the eye elements, and the crutch elements, together with a suitable quantity of string, and such other decorative accessories as may be desired, in the form of a kit, suitably packaged, with instructions whereby the same may be used with a body to be provided by the purchaser. It will thus be seen that the invention is ideally suited for use as a premium or advertising device to be purchased or given away with any desired commodity packed in a carton suitable for use as the body of the marionette.

The leg elements, arm elements, eye elements, and crutch elements may conveniently be cut from sheet material, suitably shaped and decorated, and if desired the body may also be provided as a blank formed of sheet material to be folded into the form of a hollow body of the kind illustrated, or any other hollow form.

The leg elements 14, 14, are of substantially greater width at the knees, than at their upper ends, and are curved upwardly as illustrated, terminating in upper end portions of reduced width, as indicated at 24.

The arm elements 12, 12 are also of greater width at the elbows than at their inner or shoulder ends, and curve upwardly and inwardly, terminating in inner end portions 26, of reduced width.

By so constructing the arm and leg elements they may be inserted through suitable slot openings, such as those indicated at 28 in the bottom 20 of the body, and 29 in the opposite sides thereof, the inner ends of the arm and leg elements being provided with perforations 30 and 32, respectively, whereby corresponding arm and leg elements may be secured together by strings 34, for simultaneous movement during the operation of the marionette. Due to the shoulders on the upper part of the leg elements which give leverage bearing adjacent the slot openings, and due to the fact that the knee portions of the leg elements and the elbow portions of the arm elements are of greater width than the inner end portions of these elements, and also to the curvature of the elements, it will be apparent that the elements are capable of rocking or swinging movement relative to the body, as well as limited longitudinal sliding movement inwardly and outwardly of the respective slots, and that such movement is accomplished without the provision of any attaching means between the body and elements, or the use of pivot pins or the like, whereby the construction of the marionette is greatly simplified.

The eye elements 16, 16, may be suitably suspended at any desired location on the exterior of the body by attaching the same to the ends of a string 36, which extends through suitably spaced perforations in the body and whereby the eye elements are suspended for free swinging movement relative to the body.

The crutch or control member is made up of the crossed stick members 18, which are preferably formed of sheet material, provided with central notches 38, 38, extending substantially half way across the width of the members and whereby they may be assembled in crossed relation.

The members are provided adjacent ends with perforations through which a string 40 may be passed, which is tied to each of the members, to securely maintain the same in crossed assembled relation.

For the purpose of supporting and controlling the movement of the marionette from the crutch, control strings 42, 42 are provided, which are attached at their upper ends to the opposite ends of one of the members 18, and extend downwardly for attachment at their lower ends to the leg elements 14, at the region of the knee portions of the leg elements. Other strings 44, 44, are attached at their upper ends to the opposite ends of the other of the crutch'members, and extend downwardly for attachment at opposite points to the front and rear portions of the body, as best illustrated in Figure 2, the rear one of these strings being preferably attached to the body at a point slightly spaced from the bottom thereof, and the front one of these strings being preferably attached to the body at a point somewhat below the top of the body, whereby forward and rearward tilting motion of the body may be controlled by suitable manipulation of the crutch. Additional strings 46, 46, are also provided, which are attached at their upper ends to the crutch at points immediately adjacent to where the members 18 cross, and extend downwardly for attachment at opposite points on the body, preferably located substantially vertically above the arm elements 12, 12, whereby the body is supported from the central portion of the crutch. This arrangement allows the arm and leg elements to move independently of the body and without moving it.

By arranging the control strings in the manner described, it will also be apparent that there is little likelihood of the strings becoming entangled, and that the movement of the marionette may be accurately controlled by tilting the crutch in various directions, only one hand being required for the manipulation of the same.

In the operation of the invention, constructed and arranged as described above, the crutch or control members are held lightly in one hand with the thumb beneath the same in the vicinity of the attachment of the strings 46 thereto, and the crutch is then rocked in various directions, whereupon the leg elements 14, 14 may be caused to move up and down, and because of the attachment of the inner ends of the arm and leg members by means of the strings 34, the arms. will also move up and down with the legs. In this manner the marionette may be operated in a very amusing manner, the arms and legs moving up and down simultaneously, while the eye elements swing from side to side.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a toy of simple design, which is easily constructed, and which is capable of being operated to cause the same to assume numerous amusing attitudes and positions, without the exercise of any special skill or prolonged prac fice.

While the invention has been disclosed herein in connection with certain specific embodiments of the same, it will be understood that this is intended by way of illustration only, and that numerous changes can be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A marionette comprising a hollow body provided with a bottom having spaced openings therein, said body also having side openings above said bottom, leg elements extendingv through and engageable mediate their ends, with the body in said bottom openings for rocking movement relative to the body, arm elements extending through and engageable mediate their ends with the body in said side openings for rocking movement relative to the body, means connected to the leg elements exteriorly of the body and operable to move the leg elements to cause the leg elements to rock' relative to the body, and means connecting the inner ends of the leg and arm elements to cause elements to rock simultaneously.

2. A marionettecomprising a hollow body of tubular shape, control means including a plurality of elongated members arranged in crossing relation at a point mediate their ends, means connected to said control means at the point of crossing of said members and to the body at substantially diametrically spaced points on said body to support the body for tilting movement between said diametrically spaced points, and means connected to one of said members at points spaced outwardly from the point of crossing of the elements and to the body at locations spaced peripherally of the body from said diametrically spaced points and operable upon vertical movement of said one member to cause the body to tilt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 152,250 Powers June 23, 1874 1,645,228 Christiansen Oct. 11, 1927 1,902,983 Adler et al. Mar. 28, 1933 2,113,839 Hedges Apr. 12, 1938 2,323,040 Hirsch June 29, 1943 2,626,480 Tipman Ian. 27, 1953 2,662,338 Baird Dec. 15, 1953 

